Berry-picker.



v0- 0. WEBER.

BERRY PIGKER.

APPLICATION FILED 001:. 4, 1910.

1,023,697. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO C. WEBER, 0F MULLICA TOWNSHIP, ATLANTIC COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

BERRY-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO C. WEBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mullica township, Atlantic county, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Berry-Pickers, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to providea device especially constructed for the picking of cranberries; it being desired that it shall be of such construction as to permit of separation of the berries from the vines without injury to the latter.

Another object of the invention is .to'provide a berry picker by which it shall be possible to pick or collect a given quantity of berries or to work over a given area of bog in a shorter time than has heretofore been possible; the construct-ion of the device being such as to practically prevent the loss of any of the berries, or the jamming of the latter between its teeth, as well as to safeguard the berries against bruising or other injury.

I also desire that the berry picker constructed according to my invention shall be not only simple, inexpensive and durable in construction but shall have its parts so arranged as to permit of its use with a. minimum of physical exertion and strain on the part of the operator.

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view illustrating the detail construction of my invention; Fig. 2, is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the teeth of the berry picker, showing the arrangement of its parts, Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical partial section of my berry picker showing it as made with a modified form of teeth and side member; Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively a perspective and a side elevation of two forms of teeth; Fig. 6, is a vertical section of that form of tooth shown in Figs. 1 or 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are vertical sect-ions of those forms of teeth shown in Figs. 4 and 3 respectively, and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified form of side construction contemplated by my invention.

In the above drawings, 1 represents the front handle-supporting side members of the device, which as shown in Figs. 1 and v2, are

formed of two generally triangular shaped pieces of flat material rigidly positioned with respect to each other in substantially parallel planes and held in such position by the cover piece 2 and a bottom piece 3. This cover piece extends between the lower or rear portions of the upper edges of the side pieces, while the bottom 3 extends between the lower front edge of said pieces; the apices of these latter pieces being connected by the cylindrical handle bar 4, preferably so mounted as to be free to revolve, while their bases are cut on parallel lines and are connected by a body of sufficiently flexible material 5 so as to form the back of the picker. This back and the bottom are internally lined with felt, as indicated at 6, although some other relatively soft material may be employed which, like the felt, will prevent bruising of the berries, when they fall or are violently thrown into the container.

While I have found it to be advisable to provide this relatively soft covering for the bottom, it is obvious that it may be applied to the inside surface of the cover 2 or wherever else it may be considered necessary without departing from my invention: A supplementary cover 11 preferably made of canvas or the like, connects the upper edges of the side members 1 between the handle bar 4 and the cover Q.

Mounted between the two side members are a number of forwardly projecting elongated, substantially parallel fingers or teeth 7, whose rear ends are preferably connected as by spacing blocks 8 to form a surface which forms a continuation of their top surfaces and which terminates at the top edge of the bottom piece 3. These teeth are held in position in any suitable manner, such as by bolts 12 extending transversely through their rear ends and the side members 1, there being also a bolt 13 extending through the blocks 8 as shown.

Secondary side members 9 are also provided in the form of elongated flat members, extending from that portion of the rear top edge of the side members 1 adjacent the cover 2, across said side members and finally terminating at the sides of the teeth 7 their forward ends being triangular in shape and extending to points slightly to the rear of a line passing through the forward ends of the said teeth. These latter, as shown, are preferably made T-shaped in cross section,

although as shown in Figs. 4 and 7 at 7?, they may be more or less triangular or otherwise undercut; their forward ends being pointed and preferably curved upwardly to a slight extent, although in some cases I make them straight as in Fig. 5. Said teeth, moreover 1nay,-as shown in Fig. 4, be longitudinally grooved or made with a concave top surface so as to provide channels leading downwardly toward the container formed by the body of the berry picker.

In addition to the revolving handle 4, I provide a fixed handle 10 mounted on the forward part of the cover 2 and projecting rearwardly from its middle portion; the various parts being so proportioned and arranged that when the handle 4 is grasped in one hand and the handle 10 in the other, the forward ends of the teeth 7 normally projectupwardly from the horizontal and the rear part or body of the picker tends to swing downwardly. The canvas between the top edges of the side members 1 provides a more or less soft springy surface so as to prevent escape of berries from the picker, as they fly upwardly on being pulled from the vines.

Under conditions of use the handles t and 10 are grasped, one with each hand, and the forward end of the picker is run into and through a mass of berry-bearing plants. Both by the act of running through said plants and also by a subsequent slight elevation of the forward end of the teeth 7 the berries are separated from the plants and permitted to roll downward on the teeth 7 into the reservoir or container formed by the bottom 3, the side members, the back 5 and the cover 2. This operation is accomplished practically without injury to the plants, and owing to the peculiar construction of the teeth, there is a minimum of resistance offered to their passage through said plants. Moreover, little if any injury to the berries is possible, since they are received upon the soft lining of the body of the picker and are retained until a sufficient quantity has accumulated when they are emptied into a basket or other receptacle.

By the peculiar construction and arrangement of the two handles I have found that my improved picker may be operated with greater ease and rapidity than has hitherto been possible with pickers of the ordinary one-handle type, so that a greater territory may be covered by an operator without loss of or injury to the berries or damage to the vines.

It is to be noted that the revoluble bar t forming the forward handle of my berry picker, is placed above and some distance in front of the body thereof so that even when empty the said body tends to revolve around this handle and thereby elevate the teeth 7.

The other handle 10 which extends to the.

rear of the body portion, serves as a means for the partial support of this latter and also as a means by which it may be turned around the pivotal support formed by the bar i.

By the peculiar construction of teeth employed they are made relatively rigid against sidewise as well as up and down deflection, and it is also noted that it is a practical impossibility for the berries to become wedged between them.

It is further noted that there is an uninterrupted surface upon which the berries pass from the forward ends of the teeth into the container proper so that in the absence of any abutment or projecting tooth holding bar the berries are not bruised as has hitherto frequently been the case. By making the teeth relatively close together as shown, not only is the jamming of the berries between them prevented, but their separation from the Vines is facilitated, especially since with this construction there is but little loss of berries.

It is of course immaterial as to just how the teeth are made, since in some instances I make them of wood or other like material in the forms shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, at 7 or, on the other hand, I may make them of light sheet metal as shown in Figs. 3 and 8 at 7 The side members may also be made of light sheet metal and in such case would preferably be reinforced along their edges by a stiffening strip 14 or by a part of one of the teeth as shown at 7". Again if the sides be made of sheet metal, their edges may be turned over a suitable bar or wire as shown in Fig. 9 at 15.

I claim 1. A berry picker consisting of a container provided with two side membersand having teeth projecting from one of its edges; a handle mounted above and extending at right angles to the lines of said teeth for substantially the full width of the container; said handle lying between the side members and in front of the main portion of the container; with a second handle, in the form of a rearwardly extending bar, mounted on the cover of said container.

2. The combination in a berry picker of two side members; a curved back member joining the lower portions of said side members; a cover extending between the upper edges of the side members; a bottom member extending between the side members up wardly from the back member; a series of teeth projecting from said bottom member; a handle connecting the upper portions of the side members; with a second handle mounted on the cover piece and extending rearwardly from the same.

3. A berry picker consisting of a container having means whereby it may be held; and a. series of teeth projecting from one edge of said container; said teeth being substantially T-shaped in section.

4. A berry picker consisting of a container having means whereby it may be held; and a series of teeth projecting from one edge of said container; said teeth being substantially flat on top and undercut from their upper edges.

5. A berry picker consisting of a container having means whereby it may be held; and a series of teeth projecting from one edge of said container; said teeth being substantially T-shaped in section and having their forward ends upturned.

6. A berry picker consisting of a container having means whereby it may be held; with a series of teeth projecting from said container; said teeth having longitudinally extending grooves in their top surfaces leading to the container and widest at their tops and narrowest at their bottom portions.

7. A berry picker consisting of a container having means whereby it may be held; with a series of teeth projecting from the container and having their ends upturned; said teeth having longitudinally extending grooves in their top surfaces leading to the container, and being widest at their tops.

8. A berry picker having a body portion provided with a main cover and having forwardly projecting side members; a series of teeth projecting from the lower part of said body portion; a transverse handle extending between and connecting said side members;

and a supplementary cover of fabric extend- In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO C. WEBER. WVitnesses WILLIAM E. BRADLEY, WM. A. BARR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

